THE PIAKO SWAMP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2162, 19 August 1907, Page 4

THE PIAKO SWAMP.

SUGGESTIONS OF A VISITOR. AN EXAMPLE FROM SIAM. Some interesting observations regarding the proposal to drain the Piako Swamp were made to a Wellington interviewer by Mr. John H. Lindsay, a native of New Zealand, a surveyor by profession, and who lias just returned to the colony from Siam, in which country he spent seven years.

Mr. Lindsay said he li-ad just come down from the North, and he had come through tho Thames and the Waikato. Ho had taken an especial interest in tho proposal to reclaim tho Piako Swamp, which . lie had again visited, after many yeans’ absence, and because ho had seen enormous areas of swamp country reclaimed in Siam.

Ho thought the Government was wise ill its attitude towards tho Pinko Swamp, and would be well rewarded for its enterprise, but lie was afraid a mistake was made in going about Hie work. He umlei-stocxl t-linit scoops wore to be used, and judging by some figures he had seen quoted for the work, the Government was going into needlessly heavy expenditure. Asked whether lie had any proposal to make, tho visitor rehearsed Iris experiences of Siam. There the Government desired the reclamation of a swamp some 900 square miles in extent. Dutch experts were obtained from Java by a company which was given, the concession. This swamp area wa6 about 17 miles from Bangkok. Much time and money were spent in experimenting upon the cutting of the ditches, or canals, for the draining of the swamp, but at last the perfect system was struck. Machinery, perfected as the work progressed, was obtained from Germany, and it was the marvel of a lifetime to see the wonders performed by that machinery. Eight great automatic excavators were employed, and emcli in 24 hours scooped out a 200 fit length of canal, iiOf.t to 40ft wide, and 10)ft deep. The excavators were run on rails, which also carried the living quarters for the many coolies employed. Mr. Lindsay added that the concession had just been completed, and lie felt sure the excavators could be seoured for work ill New Zealand. “What your Government should do in tho matter,” lie said,” is to get a tip-top expert from that big job over there, and get him to bring the machinery with him. There is nothingbetter in the world for that sort of work than the machinery used in the Siamese swamp, and it is just the thing for the Piako country.: The soil scooped out was levelled off and went to form roads alongside tho drainage canals; but if Piako is to be seriously and economically tackled, your Government must get an expert reclamation engineer, and you will bo astonished at the cheapness with which the work can bo done if it is gone about in the Siamese method, even making allowance for tho difference in coolie and white labor markets. It is my firm conviction that there is a great thing in the reclamation of tho Piako Swamp if the work is rightly tackled.”